Ritz-Carlton Reserve Nekajui
Entrance to the resort Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
My obsession with the Ritz-Carlton reserve began last year when by pure accident I booked the Mandapa in Bali, I was curious about the little last name it has next to the Ritz-Carlton.
Upon further investigation I found out that the famous, yet low-key properties with the elusive and exclusive title of Ritz-Carlton Reserve are few, 8 at the moment to be exact, so the grand opening of one of them in Costa Rica sparked my interested coming from an exceptional and memorable stay in Mandapa.
The Hotel is located at the peninsula Papagayo, a private resort area that shares common areas with the Four Seasons and the Andaz, there’s a park operator as it’s a national reserve, that offer different activities like mangler exploring, monkey sightseen and much more, there is a golf course that is bookable by guests of all the hotels and there’s a project to build some paddle and tennis courts.
Main courtyard
According to Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton properties are characterized for blend within the environment and the culture, in this case, "Nekajui" - the name of the hotel- means "lush garden" in the Chorotegan language, the native language of the pre-Columbian Chorotegas who once inhabited the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. and the property design is heavily inspired of old haciendas from the colonial times.
the main courtyard has a beautiful adoquin floors with an astonishing tree in the middle that reminded me a lot of the “Buendia family house" from 100 years of solitude.
The property, a Category 11 on the Marriott portfolio can be book for 125.000 Bonvoy points or $2,390.00 a night, I did the first and was expecting an impeccable super luxury experience.
I’m Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, so I was expecting the extension of the benefits like room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, and extra attention to my requests. However, my experience at the hotel fell short from the very beginning. Upon arrival at the main gate, they didn’t have my reservation on file. The staff had to call the hotel, only to be met with a dismissive response that there was no guest under my name for that day. It took several back-and-forth calls with the gate and hotel before I was finally granted access.
During check-in, I discovered that unfortunately, the Ritz-Carlton brand does not offer free breakfast for elite members. I had also initially booked a double bed, as I was coming with family but plans changed, and I requested an upgrade or a room change to a king being the only one for the stay. The concierge was unaccommodating and insisted the hotel was fully booked. Yet, when I checked the app, I saw plenty of rooms available for that day, including suites. If an upgrade was not possible, switching me to a king room of the same category should have been a straightforward decision.
When it came time to settle charges, the concierge informed me I would be paying resort fees even on an award night. She indicated a charge of $5,500. My immediate response was to clarify if that amount was in colones, but I was shocked to hear it was in US dollars. Despite my concerns about the excessive deposit amount, she proceeded to charge my card, disregarding the misunderstandings. This lack of attention and consideration was not the service I expected from a luxury resort. While the matter was eventually cleared with the manager, the hold on my card lasted a full week.
The property is beautiful, it has a private funicular to reach the beach club, which has an outdoor dinning Spaniard-inspired cuisine and access to a private beach where you can do complementary activities like snorkeling and paddle boarding. the beach is small and during high tides it complete disappears.
Hanging bridge
You have to take the hanging bridge to reach the spa and the gym.
All of the property feels like an open colonial villa / treehouse, with delicious food and tasty drinks.
Final Thoughts
Overall, to have opened just 2 months ago, the property is performing commendably. During my checkout, I spoke with the sub manager, who skillfully addressed all the small issues that altered my experience during my stay. She kindly waived my additional charges for dinner and breakfast, which was a thoughtful gesture. However, I still have mixed feelings about recommending the property. I believe they need a bit more time to reach the standards of other Reserve properties in terms of attention to detail. Nonetheless, I will continue to monitor its progress, as it truly is an impressive resort.